It’s been a while since the NFL Trade Deadline was something for Houston Texans fans to pay close attention to, at least as a potential buyer. Even last season, when the team was in the mix for a postseason berth, and buying may have made sense, fans weren’t thirsty for moves, because they were just happy the team was relevant again.
The calculus changed, though, this past offseason, when the Texans made huge “win now” type moves, bringing in Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon, Stefon Diggs, moves that are in line with a team thinking they can win a Super Bowl. Ironically, the super aggressive moves of March and April may have set an expectation with fans that the Texans will swing big every chance they get.
Clearly, after Tuesday’s deadline for trades, the Texans are being far more methodical and discerning than fans might have hoped for. When 3 p.m. Tuesday came and went, the Texans sat with largely the same roster they had when they woke up Tuesday morning. Among diehard fans, emotions ranged from disappointment to anger, especially with the offensive line such a mess right now.
In the end, the Texans made one trade on Tuesday, and it was actually shipping a player OUT, not IN, as they sent defensive tackle Khalil Davis to San Francisco for a future 7th round pick. Quite the popcorn fart of a deadline day, indeed, so let’s dig into it a little further:
Why were people so disappointed in the Texans’ decisions on Tuesday?
Because good teams GO FOR IT! At last, that’s the perception, and probably the biggest reason people are upset. Look at the four other teams in the top five seeded positions in the AFC, and they all made moves. Kansas City brought in DeAndre Hopkins, who had two touchdowns on Monday night. Buffalo traded for WR Amari Cooper, Pittsburgh traded for WR Mike Williams and edge rusher Preston Smith, and finally, the Ravens traded for WR Deontae Johnson and CB Tra’Davious White. That Pittsburgh and Baltimore, who sandwich the Texans in the standings and are two of the best run teams in sports, both made multiple deals creates some negative optics for Nick Caserio and the Texans.
What should the Texans have done?
Everyone in Houston wants offensive line help, as C.J. Stroud will be lucky to be alive for the holidays, at this point, with the number of hits he is taking. However, there were no offensive lineman traded at all this deadline, so it’s tough to know what that market looked like. Seeing some of the low, low prices for running backs and wide receivers, I would have liked to have seen the Texans trade for veteran depth at both of those positions. Right now, they are banking heavily on the health of Joe Mixon, Tank Dell and Nico Collins, when the postseason rolls around.
Hey, why’d they ship out Khalil Davis?
This one is simple. The Texans are getting a handful of players back from injured reserve very soon — CB Jeff Okudah, DE Jerry Hughes, and WR Nico Collins. Also, Mario Edwards will return from suspension soon. This is a numbers thing, where the Texans were going to cut Davis, but instead found a team willing to give up a draft pick to land him on their roster. We wish Davis well!
What trades are the scariest for Texan fans?
I would say any trade that yields a good player ending up on the Texans’ remaining schedule should be viewed as an issue. Specifically, this Sunday, the Texans play the Lions, who are in the conversation for “best team in the NFL.” The Lions traded for Browns edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, an outstanding pick up of a former multiple time Pro Bowler, who still has some gas in the tank. In Week 16, the Texans face the Chiefs, so they will get to say hello to old friend DeAndre Hopkins again. Finally, in Week 17, the Ravens come to Houston for Christmas Day, and they got a little better with their trades for Diontae Johnson and Tra’Davious White.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
